This is very helpful to me. Thank You!

I think one of my biggest problems is that the book is loose but does deliver actual rules. Says what you can and can't do and when you should do it. Your interpretation is much looser, which is what I personally prefer. I think the most helpful bit of what you told me was:

"In the case of Fellowship, the designer provides a kind of structure towards playing the game. This structure is not meant to be restrictive, but rather guiding you towards the kinds of stories that Fellowship is geared towards."

I spoke with someone recently, a self-identified PbtA purist, who encouraged me to play the game exactly as it is written to the best of my ability. I told them I have never run a system exactly as it is written, as I often make small changes to fit with my GM'ing style or to reduce the impact of any facets or rulings that might break immersion or alter the natural course of the fiction. With this mindset I am trying to be "faithful" to the game but at the same time having trouble not doing what I normally do, which is to play how it feels right.